For optimum reproduction imaging devices such as digital, still, video and other electronic cameras require either, that the camera be aligned before taking an image or picture of a scene or person, or that the image of an accurate test pattern be recorded before or during recording of the scene or person, thus enabling data from the recorded test pattern to be used in improving image quality when displaying and/or re-recording image of the scene or person.
Test pattern elements may be various different shapes, geometrical or random. The test patterns may include colours, grayscale and resolution information.
Test pattern elements should be accurate, consistent and product electronic signals that are easily interpreted using standard industry equipment. For example the six primary colours of the test pattern, Red, Green, Blue, Cyan, Magenta and Yellow, are designed to fall at RGB level combinations which are preferably in the region of 560 and 280 mV (80 and 40 IRE units), plus or minus 5 mV. For example, the Red patch should preferably produce 560 mV (80 IRE) for the Red channel and 280 mV (40 IRE) each for the Blue and Green, similarly the yellow patch should preferably produce 560 mV (80 IRE) for the Red and Green channels and preferably 280 mV (40 IRE) for the Blue. Other colours reproduce preferably at their similar respective levels.
Test patterns are required to be meticulously cared for. Typical cardboard matte patterns degrade rapidly in use, from handling, fingerprints and fading. The use of degraded patterns results in inferior image quality due to camera misalignment from the use of inaccurate data generated by the faded or otherwise damaged patterns.